Di Ming

Chapter 63 Spy
The sky was ablaze with colorful clouds, and the setting sun was like blood.

Along the coast and waterways, crowds of people were making paper ingots, river lanterns, paper money, and paper clothes for the dead.

The literate men wrote the names of the deceased on the funerary clothes and paper money.

Paper is still not cheap. However, people in the community never skimp on paper for Qingming and Zhongyuan Festivals.

Elderly men, dressed in plain clothes, gathered in small groups, bowing to the sky and chanting incantations.

The elderly woman was busy steaming millet rice, wrapping it in green leaves. She also prepared offerings of fruits, fish, and chicken for the feast.

The island lord has decreed that today, the Ghost Festival, all military and civilian personnel on the island shall hold a unified grand ceremony.

They not only offered sacrifices to those who died in battle, but also to their own ancestors and relatives.

Remembering our ancestors, honoring their spirits, and expressing our loyalty, filial piety, and integrity—this is a grand ceremony of Chinese culture!
Many women who were making paper ingots and river lanterns instructed their children:
Do not eat today's offerings.

Don't pat someone on the shoulder, and don't let anyone pat your shoulder or touch your head.

Do not step on the ashes after the paper money has been burned.

"Release river lanterns after dark, but do not watch them from the riverbank."

"Do you remember everything?"

...

On Mopan Mountain, in front of the Zhongyi Temple, paper banners are already everywhere, and the memorial tablets are fluttering in the wind.

A "lantern pole" made from a discarded mast, more than three zhang tall, stands in front of the gate, with a crossbeam on top and three white gauze lanterns hanging from it.

Several tiger-squatting cannons roared together, and horns and bells rang out, startling the sea and sky.

"Boom—whoosh—thump-thump—"

A large flock of seagulls were startled and took flight, circling over Daishan Island in a pure white expanse, their cries like a lament.

More than 600 pirates from Daishan, all dressed in plain clothes and hemp belts, stood neatly outside the ancestral hall under the leadership of Ding Huogen.

Further out were the pirates' families and four hundred new recruits selected from the sea dwellers.

The atmosphere was very solemn.

General Liu Lianfeng handed a bundle of incense to Ding Huogen, the chief officiant. Ding Huogen lit the incense and knelt down first.

Six hundred armored soldiers, four hundred new recruits, and over a thousand family members knelt down together.

"Ding Huogen, a survivor and a coward, respectfully leads 4,800 soldiers and civilians from Daishan to pay tribute to my fallen comrades over the past thirty years!"

"The spirits of heroes are not far away, their martial virtues will live on forever, righteousness resides in the mountains and islands, and affection remains in the vast sea!"

"May all my departed brothers, in the unseen realm, bless my Daishan and my Zhoushan, and bring peace to this coastal region!"

"May the spirits of our fallen heroes rise again, upholding General Qi's teachings and following his will, to annihilate the Japanese pirates and vile bandits, even unto death..."

"I bow! May you accept this offering!"

Everyone bowed and prayed together.

Piles of paper money, paper boats, paper armor, paper knives, paper cannons, paper guns, paper bows, paper horses... were all set on fire.

Ashes of paper flew everywhere, and incense smoke swirled around.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" A row of tiger-squatting cannons roared again.

Immediately, the three white gauze lanterns on the lantern pole were lit together.

Night had already fallen.

The locals, who had been preparing at the seaside and waterfront, burned paper money and lit river lanterns together after hearing the cannon fire.

In the blink of an eye, the entire coastline was filled with floating lanterns, their reflections on the sea like a sea of ​​stars. The names of the deceased were written on the lanterns, swaying on the waves.

The sound of cannons also rang out from the three large warships in the harbor, echoing across the sea and sky.

The entire Daishan Island was immersed in solemnity and reverence.

Many people looked up at the sky, as if something was about to happen.

Just as a bright moon was rising from the sea, Liu Lianfeng and the others suddenly noticed a cloud of sails appearing on the sea to the northeast.

Seven warships!

These must be Japanese pirates and other pirates!
"Enemy attack!" Liu Lianfeng and the others shouted in unison, "Prepare to fight!"

The alarm was sounded, the beacon tower was lit, and the alarm bells and horns were blown.

The soldiers immediately donned their armor, the port bridge was blocked, and thousands of islanders boarded small fishing boats along the riverbanks, carrying money, food, and supplies, and fled with their families to the depths of the river.

For a time, the river was densely packed with small fishing boats, numbering at least eight hundred, if not a thousand.

This was a plan that Ding Huogen had arranged long ago. When foreign enemies attacked, the sea people who had no fighting power would immediately take small boats and hide in the waterways.

With the Japanese pirates' warships unable to enter, the fishermen were safe. Even if the Japanese pirates landed on the island, they couldn't do anything to the fishermen.

The soldiers could fight without worrying about protecting the people.

As Ding Huogen entered the island lord's inner quarters, a dashing young woman in a tight-fitting outfit emerged, wielding a knife.

"Father! How many Japanese pirates have come? Give me a set of padded armor!"

"Nonsense!" Ding Huogen shouted. "There aren't enough armor plates to begin with, where would we get extra ones for you!"

"Hongying, quickly protect your mother and aunt as they get into the waterway in a small boat. The island doesn't need you, hurry up!"

Fourteen-year-old Ding Hongying puffed out her chest and declared, "I won't go into the waterways! I want to fight the Japanese with my father, a father-daughter team on the battlefield!" "I have mastered General Qi's 'Xinyou Sword Technique,' and can now take on ten men."

"Great achievement my foot! You think you can take on ten men?" Ding Huogen hated his daughter's boasting the most. "If you don't behave, I'll marry you off right now!"

Upon hearing the word "marry," Ding Hongying's imposing aura immediately crumbled, and she said with a forced smile:

"Father, don't be angry. Although I can fight ten men, filial piety comes first. I will obey your orders. I will now escort Mother and Aunt to the waterway. Father, rest assured, with a knife in hand, I will be safe."

"But you, Father, without your daughter to protect you, must take good care of yourself."

Ding Huogen was speechless. It was normal that his daughter preferred military uniforms to dresses; after all, she was his own child, and he couldn't expect her to be a pampered young lady.

But her habit of boasting and exaggerating is neither inherited from her father nor her mother, and it's unclear where she learned it from.

I only taught her the Xinyou sword technique, I never taught her how to brag.

Her swordsmanship was at most rudimentary, mostly just for show. It was more than enough to deal with ordinary men, but if she encountered a Japanese samurai, she would surely die.

Ding Hongying played a few tunes and then turned and went inside.

Just as Ding Huogen was about to call his personal guards to don their armor and go into battle, his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly dodged.

However, it was still a little too late.

With a "whoosh," a cold arrow shot out from behind the ceremonial gate and pierced his shoulder.

Ding Huogen had been shot with arrows before, and each time it was a stinging pain. But this time, it was a tingling, itchy sensation, and surprisingly, no pain.

The arrows are poisonous!

Ding Huogen turned his head and saw Liu Lianfeng, the fair-skinned captain of his personal guards, holding a bow and arrow with a ferocious expression.

He was followed by four trusted henchmen, all clad in armor and armed with weapons.

"It's you! You're a spy!" Ding Huogen never expected that Liu Lianfeng, the old subordinate he had entrusted with the important task of training troops, would actually betray him.

"Father!" Ding Hongying heard the commotion, rushed out with her knife, and helped her father, who had been hit by a poisoned arrow. She shouted angrily, "Liu Lianfeng, how dare you assassinate your commander!"

Her mother and aunt came out, both looking pale.

"Husband!"

"Liu Lianfeng! You..."

"Hahaha!" Liu Lianfeng laughed loudly, "I tricked my brothers into going to the shore to defend against the enemy, and I told them you would arrive soon. There wasn't a single soldier left outside the tent!"

"Once you die, the group will be leaderless. Who can resist the Japanese samurai of Captain Matsuura?"

Ding Huogen felt numbness at the site of the arrow wound, and he couldn't lift his entire right arm. His body swayed precariously.

"So you were the Japanese spy all along!" Ding Huogen gritted his teeth. "I never expected it to be you! What are you after?"

This person was so well hidden; I hadn't even noticed and trusted him completely.

Liu Lianfeng, clad in iron armor, slowly approached with several trusted men. "Ding Huogen, you should have died long ago!"

"You'd rather be a guerrilla general than lead your brothers to flee to the seas. If you're going to be a pirate, then be a pirate and loot, kill, and plunder."

"You won't do it! You're always acting all high and mighty, like you love the people and your soldiers like your own children. You've gained a good reputation, but what about me!"

"Which of the military commanders in the Ming Dynasty didn't live a life of luxury, enjoying the company of three wives and four concubines? Which one didn't become wealthy?"

"But I can't even get a proper job as a captain, and I'm about to be promoted to captain, but instead I'm out fishing and catching shrimp at sea, not taking a single tael of silver from the imperial court, and I still have to help you fight against the Japanese pirates!"

"When you set sail, you had 1,500 soldiers. But over the years, some have died, some have perished, and only 600 old brothers remain!"

"Your hypocritical sacrifices to them today are nothing more than a ploy to win over the army; what good are they?!"

“Now, surrendering is impossible. You have cut off our escape route and can no longer convince the court that Commander Qi is in dire need of his own safety and cannot care about us.”

"I've had enough. I've endured it for too long."

"Since I can no longer be an official, I can only become a real pirate and cooperate with the Japanese pirates. I can still live a life of luxury!"

He threw away his bow and arrows, drew his long sword, and said, "Matsuura Tadanobu promises that if I kill you, he will let me lead the remaining troops and allow me to go to Japan to do business."

"I also told Matsuura Tadanobu about the hidden gun emplacements in the waterways and the true situation on the island. Daishan Island is finished."

"I'm telling you this so you can die knowing why. Today is Ghost Festival, a good day indeed. I'll give your whole family a quick death."

After saying that, he swung his long sword and slashed at Ding Huogen.

However, at that moment, a blade of light flew up like lightning, aiming straight for Liu Lianfeng's neck.

Ding Hongying!
Liu Lianfeng never took Ding Hongying, this junior, seriously. In his eyes, she was just a boastful little girl.

It's just a matter of one cut.

He was on high alert for Ding Huogen, who had been hit by a poisoned arrow, and didn't take Ding Hongying, who was all show and no substance, seriously.

Only then did he realize that he had underestimated Ding Hongying.

Because the speed and ferocity of this strike exceeded his expectations, he was caught off guard and unable to dodge it!
But she's clearly a woman who likes to brag.

With a "thud," the blade pierced his neck, and his vicious slash at Ding Huogen lost all strength.

In the blink of an eye, Ding Hongying drew her long sword, and blood spurted from Liu Lianfeng's neck.

Without even looking, Ding Hongying stabbed the nearest of Liu Lianfeng's confidants.

"die!"

(End of this chapter)